Vent for electricity metering device

Abstract

A vent (180) for an electricity metering device (30) having a housing (34) having a generally planar surface thereon with a cavity (35), a plurality of vent openings (182) on the surface of the housing (34) which extend through the surface for allowing passage of air therethrough and a plurality of vent shields (184) positioned on one side of the surface adjacent each of the vent openings (182), preventing access through the vent openings (182) into the interior of the housing (34), the vent shields (184) including a first wall (190) extending generally perpendicular from the surface of the housing, and a second wall (192) attached to the first wall (190) extending generally parallel to the surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An air circulation and tamper-resistant venting device for the cover of an electricity metering apparatus, the apparatus including a base portion from which a terminal housing extends, said venting device comprising: at least one opening in the cover, said opening having a generally rectangular configuration and including a first side wall which is generally perpendicular to the surface of the cover and a second side wall which is angled relative to the surface of the cover in such a manner that an object inserted into the vent opening would be urged toward the first side wall and at an angle through the vent opening; and   a vent shield including a first wall projecting from the inside surface of the cover adjacent the first side wall of the vent opening and a second wall extending perpendicular from the first wall and parallel to the surface of the cover over the vent opening, whereby an object inserted through the vent opening would be directed toward said first and second walls.   
     
     
       2. An air circulation and tamper-resistant vent for the cover of an electricity metering device including a molded plastic unit having a generally circular base portion from which a generally rectangular terminal housing extends, said cooling vent comprising: a plurality of vent openings in the cover, each of said vent openings having a generally rectangular configuration and including a first side wall which is generally perpendicular to the surface of the cover and a second side wall which is angled relative to the surface of the cover in such a manner that an object inserted into the vent opening would be urged toward the first side wall and at an angle through the vent opening, the vent openings being arranged in a generally parallel series with the first side wall of one vent opening being adjacent the second side wall of the adjacent vent opening; and   a vent shield for each pair of vent openings, said vent shield including a first wall projecting perpendicular from the inside surface of the cover between the pair of vent openings adjacent the first side walls of the each of the vent openings and a second wall extending perpendicular from the first wall on either side of the first wall and parallel to the surface of the cover over the vent openings, thereby forming a "T" cross section defining a trapping pocket for each of the pair of vent shields, whereby an object inserted through a vent opening would be directed into said trapping pocket.   
     
     
       3. The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said openings have two angled wall surfaces, a first angled surface extending along the longer dimension of the rectangular opening and a second angled surface extending along the shorter dimension of the rectangular opening.